The Woman He Loves
by iloveromance
Summary: Enamored with Niles from afar, Daphne discreetly follows him to a familiar place. But when she arrives a harsh reality sets in, shattering her dreams. (Episodes; Rivals and Moon Dance). This is for my readers who have sent me PM's suggesting a story on the "Rivals" episode, with many thanks for your support.


It was impossible to ignore the way her heart was beating so rapidly, but even harder to ignore the fact that she was about to do something completely daft.

She stood in the hotel parking lot and straightened the sides of her long red dress; the one that she'd purchased nearly four years earlier for a very special occasion. It was a star- filled evening that had taken place at the very location in the light of a full moon.

The Snow Ball.

As long as she lived, she could never forget that wonderful night. And at that moment she wished… oh how she wished, that she'd been bold enough in her compliments to him. She still remembered the crestfallen expression on his handsome face in when she'd called him an actor. She didn't mean any harm by her words. She meant them as a compliment. But it was obvious that he hadn't seen it that in quite the same way.

However, the fact remained that he was an actor. He was a very good actor, the way he pretended to be in love with her while they twirled, tangoed and waltzed their way around the wooden dance floor in an effort to show those snippy friends of his ex-wives that she (and the man they were so enthralled with) were so enamored with each other, that they had eyes for no one else. If only those facts were true, but she realized that she was wrong.

Suddenly the reminder that their act at the Snow Ball was just that… an act, and not in the least bit sincere stabbed at her heart and brought tears to her eyes. But she would not cry. Not here, not now.

Tonight, she vowed, would be different. Tonight she vowed to make amends. She hid behind a cluster of trees and used her hands to peer through the window. She felt a bit silly, for it was certainly not her intention to spy on her best friend. And yet, she'd done just that, having gone to great lengths to follow him from Dr. Crane's home to the hotel. It was, up until this point, the boldest thing that she'd ever done in her life but was sure without a doubt that the effort would be worth it.

However, she was soon proven wrong again.

Her heart ached as she peered through the window and saw him with his arm around that obnoxious woman, Poppy. Whoever heard of such a ridiculous name?

There were a hundred names of flowers that were more suitable than Poppy, such as Rose, Violet, Daisy, Jasmine (her favorite by far)… the list went on and on. But _Poppy?_ It sounded like the name of some ridiculous B-list musician or movie star, one that would make Niles and Frasier cringe. But tonight, at least, Niles seemed willing to overlook the woman's name and instead seemed completely enamored with her.

What on earth did he see in that woman? Her voice was the kind of voice that makes one cringe from the pitch, her skin was pale white and yet she wore more makeup than Daphne did on a normal day. Not to mention that Poppy was a complete loon and she and Daphne were less alike than… well, she and Niles. But her eyes did not deceive her, for it was clear that he loved her.

When unexpected tears came, she quickly brushed them away. But when she caught a glimpse of the ballroom through the window once more, her tears returned. She could see them clearly, whirling and twirling around the dance floor. To Daphne's horror, the long red dress that Poppy wore was strikingly similar to her own and judging by the way Niles was gazing at her, he approved wholeheartedly.

She knew that she should turn away and go back to her car. And when she arrived home, she'd be faced with the task of feigning some excuse to Mr. Crane and the elder Dr. Crane about why she was dressed the way she was, should they take it upon themselves to ask.

She thought quickly… a date… yes, that was it. She was on a date with a very handsome man. But he was shy and had asked her to meet him at the hotel instead of at her home.

No, that would never do…

A wedding perhaps? No… Who wore a long red dress to a wedding?

The only solution was to tell the truth. That she loved the red dress so much that she couldn't possibly be expected to wear it only once and never see it again. She had decided to wear it at every opportunity.

Yes, that was it. For even she started to believe it.

She looked through the window again, gasping when she realized that they were even closer to the window then they were before. She quickly hid behind yet another cluster of bushes, hoping that he hadn't seen her.

The dance ended and Poppy curtseyed as best she could in the form fitting red dress, causing Niles to take her and place a kiss upon it. It was a familiar scene; not one from what could have been a classic romantic movie, but one that had happened not so long ago, on that very dance floor.

But what happened next made Daphne's heart clinch in her chest.

His lips touched Poppy's, tentatively at first and then lingered, turning into a kiss that brought the kiss she'd shared with Niles to shame. Their figures were blurred beyond recognition, a mix of black and red and the hot tears began to trickle down her cheeks.

Daphne's hand flew to her mouth. Without any regard to who might have seen her, she turned and ran as quickly as she could back to her car, where she could cry in peace.

For Niles did not love her in the romantic sense and he never would. But at least she could go home that night and dream about what could be and about what she wanted so much to be true. Even if it never happened.

THE END


End file.
